A special visa created 12 years ago to save thousands of victims of human trafficking and curb international human trafficking has been vastly underutilized. Legal experts and social service providers in high- trafficking regions, including the San Francisco Bay Area, suggest that victims are placed in a dangerous dilemma: Promising to cooperate with an investigation could possibly help their visa cases, but it could also expose them and their families back home to retaliation.

One result is that victims only apply for a fraction of the visas available each year. Last year the government received one-fifth of its quota, and of the applications received nearly 23 percent were rejected.

Photo by Larry Fink

Lawyers and service providers for trafficking victims said the lack of assistance from law enforcement slowed or derailed what they called deserving applications. In one case, a domestic servant who worked 16-hour days for no pay for years earned a T visa with the help of a crusading lawyer despite the lack of certification by federal law enforcement officials. Created by the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the T-1 Nonimmigrant Status visa provides trafficking victims from foreign countries temporary legal status, with an opportunity to apply for permanent residency and access to federal benefits if they cooperate with law enforcement in the investigations of their traffickers.

Human Trafficking is modern slavery

27 million people are enslaved in the world today- this is more than when slavery was legal.

Human Trafficking is the fastest growing and second largest crime in the world today.

In the United States, it is estimated that 300,000 children are at risk for being exploited into commercial sex trade.

Anyone held in service of another through force fraud or coercion is a victim of this crime.

Any minor in commercial sex ( prostitution, stripping, or pornography) is a victim of human trafficking.

Prostituting a minor under 14 years of age carries a federal life sentence.

What exactly is human trafficking and how can we help stop it? One of the best people in the U.S. to answer such questions is Department of Justice-certified human-trafficking consultant Dottie Laster, who has trained more than 5,000 police officers on recognizing and combating trafficking. She hosts a weekly internet radio show , ŇTrafficked,Ó on Here Women Talk Radio. I had a chance to interview her about trafficking in the U.S. today:

Why have we begun hearing so much about human trafficking in recent years? Is it increasing?

This woman used in prostitution in Western Europe is forced through threats and intimidation to give all earnings to her trafficker. The amount varies between 200 and 400 Euro ($250-$500 USD) per month. These fees come on top of a huge bogus "debt" typically about $35,000 Euro ($44,000 USD) owed by the woman to the trafficker who brought her, usually from Africa or Eastern Europe. Wealthy European countries are magnets for sex trafficking.

In my experience, this is a bit of a myth and misunderstanding. Yes, itŐs often very dangerous and difficult for victims to speak about the trafficking, their traffickers, and the multitude of crimes committed upon them. They must recall a multitude of rapes, abortions, assaults, threats to their loved ones and sometimes even murder, itŐs excruciating for them to relive the experiences tucked away in their memory. This is why itŐs imperative to listen and respond when they do find the courage to speak out about these atrocities. Click here for full article

Human trafficking is a global crisis-there is more at stake than people realize. Fault does not just lie within those individuals who enslave or subjugate them. Fault lies within everybody who knowingly uses the products, goods, or services that are bought via the exploitation of others. Most of us don't realize how we drive the demand from human slavery. But, like any other commercial enterprise, the slave labor is driven by supply and demand. Both those who supply and demand can and should face legal consequences.